Moments So Dear
by Ailu
Summary: Collection of my drabbles. A variety of pairings, characters, and genres. Enter at your own risk.
1. Innocence Lost: Iori

Title: Innocence Lost

Characters: Iori

Word count: 297

Written for digimondrabbles contest, "Lost"

--

_Innocent (adj.) – _

Innocence, Iori has always been told, is the one thing you cannot gain back once you've lost it.

--

_1. Not experienced or worldly; naive._

Iori is one of those poor little boys who have been prematurely forced to realize that life isn't fair, won't ever be fair. His father is dead, and he won't ever come back. Later, he will look back on this and think: _Well maybe you can't get innocence back once you've lost it, but you can't get life back either._

--

_2. Uncorrupted by evil, malice, or wrongdoing; sinless._

Killing is something Iori never thought he would do. Kendo is fighting, but not hurting – it's fake, fake, and the real feeling of murder is something he won't ever be able to erase, scrub away, not ever. His wrongdoing, his evil, his _sin_ has sunk into him, under his skin, and he's almost positive he reeks of it.

--

_3. Not apparently harmful; benign._

The worst thing is the fact that Iori feels something of a weapon. He is here to give Armadimon the power to evolve, to save the Digital World, to beat (_harm, eliminate, kill_) the bad guys. He wants to think of it as simple and straight forward, but one of the (_many_) things the Digital World has taken from him is his black-and-white view of the world.

--

_4. Lacking, deprived, or devoid of something._

Iori wishes he'd never murdered, wishes he could have his father back, wishes he didn't _know _just how bad the world can be.

However, he can't possibly wish away Armadimon, his relationships with the other Chosen, the love he's received. In that sense, the Digital World has made him rich.

--

Losing his innocence isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to him.


	2. Regret: Miyako

Title: Regret

Characters: Miyako, (Ken), (Miyako's family)

Pairings: Ken/Miyako

Word count: 300

Note: Because Miyako is so not a housewife.

--

Miyako's life is an unhappy mess of changing diapers, crying babies, carpools, after-school events, cooking, cleaning, and on and on and on.

Her fingers itch to touch a computer, do some real work. Not that she doesn't love her children, but she has never been suited for life as a housewife. She constantly finds herself thinking about Before, when she and Ken were newlyweds and she had been working with Koushirou, doing research.

Hell, she doesn't even know why she gave it up anymore. When she had first gotten pregnant, her mother would drop not-so-subtle hints that being a mother and working at the same time wouldn't be best for the baby. Then her sisters had started nagging, but their opinion had never mattered to Miyako before.

When Ken had begun to hint at the fact that he wanted their baby to have a full-time mom, that was when Miyako began to consider it. Though Ken hadn't been particularily explicit about his opinion, Miyako could tell—she isn't _that _unobservant.

As much as she values her husband's opinion, she still shouldn't have quit. She should have done what was—_is _best for her, best for their children. Her heart isn't in taking care of them, and they can _tell_.

But she can't find it in herself to go back to work now, after everything. She feels as if she has been molded to fit the housewife job, her corners softened, her temper dulled. She no longer has the courage to talk to Ken about it, and she hates it.

Miyako thinks of herself as a Chosen, passionate and free and brave and _living_. Now she's stuck in an endless loop of diapers and crying babies and carpools and after-school events and cooking and cleaning and on. And on. And on.


	3. Change: Sora

Title: Change

Characters: Sora

Word count: 200

--

Change is hard.

There are little changes, changes like, oh, this hairclip that Taichi gave me is cute, maybe I really should wear my hats less. And, wow, I do actually like this skirt, Mimi, thanks for taking me shopping with you.

Then there are the bigger changes like, I don't really care for soccer as much as I used to, tennis is more fun for me now, sorry Taichi. Yes, Mom, I am happy with how this flower arrangement came out—I'm so glad I finally developed interest.

People notice change. No, I haven't changed that much Piyomon; I've just grown up a little. _Except maybe I'm just denying it._

Changes are external as well. New Chosen, new Digivices, new ways to evolve. I feel like an old model now, Piyomon. I want to help too, but I can't.

Every cloud has a silver lining. My relationship with my mom is better now. Maybe I'm even better at the whole Chosen Child of Love thing.

Bittersweet. Taichi and I aren't quite as close. Life is sort of dull, being a retired Chosen. I don't feel as special.

Change is hard, but necessary. All you can do is embrace it.


	4. Problems: Sora

Title: Problems 

Characters: Sora, (Takenouchi Toshiko)

Word count: 100

Prompt: "Answers are what we have for other people's problems."

--

Here, pressed up against the wall of the restaurant's shed in the dark, Sora can feel her fears eat up at her.

She's thinking of her mother, she's thinking of soccer and flowers, she's thinking of curling up in a ball and crying.

_Why can't you understand?_

No, no. Take a deep breath and calm down, like Mom always told you to do. And she does and it works. Her responsibility right now lies with the others, with keeping her friends safe.

Her crest feels heavy against her chest, so she takes it off and shoves it in her pocket.


	5. Absolution: IoriNoriko

Title: Absolution

Pairing: Iori/Noriko

Word count: 150

* * *

They meet again in college.

By complete chance, they share a class--and they recognize each other, though Iori's shoulders have grown broader, his muscles developed, his face become more defined, and Noriko has grown her hair out, lost her baby fat, developed curves.

A few cups of coffee, some dinners, a couple actual dates, and one weekend away together later, they are celebrating their four month anniversary.

Iori has it planned out to the smallest detail--perfect restaraunt, perfect gift, perfect _everything_. What he doesn't have planned is her breaking down and crying hysterically.

"Why don't you hate me?" she sobs at him, her shoulders shaking. "I _want_ you to hate me. I was bad back then, I let him put the seed in--_everything was my fault_."

He takes her face in his hands. "If I learned anything when I was a Chosen, it was how to forgive."


	6. Complex: Daisuke, Iori

Title: Complex

Characters: Iori, Daisuke, (Miyako)

Word count: 190

--

Daisuke looks at Iori and thinks that if he was a psychologist (or psychiatrist—it's not like he knows the freaking difference), he would have a field day.

Even Daisuke sees that Iori has some kind of weird complex that involves his every action being dictated by his vague, nearly nonexistant memories of his father. He eats anything put in front of him even if he doesn't like it because his dad told him to. His father told him to respect everybody so now he can't break a single rule, can't tell a lie, can't do this, can't do that—this all just plain disturbs Daisuke.

Iori's unwavering devotion to his deceased dad would be kind of impressive if it wasn't so freaking morbid.

"Hey Iori, do you know what your father's least favorite color was?"

"Um. Red."

Daisuke doesn't ask how Iori knows this weird tidbit of information, and then later tells Miyako to buy Iori a red shirt for his birthday. Start small and work your way up, he supposes. God bless Hiroki--Daisuke is sure he was great and everything--but Iori needs to live a little.


End file.
